Loosely defined as the art of today or the art of our lifetime, the term “contemporary art” is usually used more specifically to describe artworks created since the 1980s or 1990s. For collection purposes, the Frye Art Museum currently delineates the scope as 1990 to the present.
In the more general sense, the Frye has collected and exhibited contemporary—or contemporaneous—art since its opening in 1952. This commitment to the art and culture of the present was catalyzed by Museum founders Charles and Emma Frye, who amassed a collection of paintings made within their own lifetimes and often purchased works directly from living artists. Over the last seven decades, directors of the Museum have each brought their own interests and interpretations to bear on the Frye’s engagement with contemporary art and thereby shaped a distinctive collection.
Prior to the tenure of Elsa “Midge” Bowman (Director, 2004–09), and often counter to dominant trends in art of the time, the Frye’s leadership focused exclusively on exhibiting and collecting representational art, citing Charles and Emma Frye’s preferences for figurative and landscape painting. Under Bowman’s direction, the exhibitions program at the Frye expanded into areas like video art and performance that questioned and upended the definition of representational art. In 2008, the Museum’s mission was revised to embrace art in its myriad forms. The Frye’s contemporary art collection has grown significantly since that time, reflecting the diversity of the institution’s engagement with local, national, and international artists working today.
Dakron, Ron
Fenton, Anne
Weingarten, Robert
Boafo, Amoako
Beyers, Margi
Hama, Take
Ojih Odutola, Toyin
Wokoma, Inye
Constantin, Count
Struck, Rebecca
Gish, Del
German, Jim
Whitten, Richard C.
White, Anthony
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Guzak, Karen
Horsey, David
Paquette, Virginia
Bratt, Byron
Siegel, Amie
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Nishimura, Haruko
Lyons, Kat
Woodring, Jim
Huston, Jeff
Faye, Jules Remedios
Butler, Ishmael
Mitchell, Mark
Christie, Leona
Alley-Barnes, Maikoiyo
Andoe, Joe
Whitman, Walt
The Black Constellation
Zwerling, Lisa
Johnson-Ricks, Khari
McMahon, Gene Gentry
Phillips, Adriana
Schutzky, Marilyn
Hopper, Janette K.
Hazleton, Lesley
Mitchell, Ryan
Williamson, Robyn
Calderon, Mark
Washburn, Stan
Quaicoe, Otis Kwame Kye
Gardiner, T. Michael
Allik, William
Haerizadeh, Rokni
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Shulman, Sondra
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Raftery, Andrew
Lindsay, Vachel
Pattison, Harry
Reskala, Georgina
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Layman, Isaac
Simpson, Buster
Gröenhagen, Rainier
Tsutakawa-Chinn, Kenzan
Bruch, Cris
Pander, Henk
Robalino, Mauricio
Berk, Leo Saul
Brosen, Frederick
Ramirez, Bony
Safranek, Doug
Chowdhury, Srijon
Bremner, Alison
Mayberry, Leo
Connell, Robert
Hunter, Paul C.
Levine, Stacey
Implied Violence
Baker, Alex O.
Kraftt, Robert
The Black Constellation
Klebeck, Michael
Browning, Matt
Bergt, Michael
Boafo, Amoako
Crispwick, Mrs.
Lee, Susie J.
Powell, Rosalyn Gale
Ojih Odutola, Toyin
Wokoma, Inye
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Roche, Judith
Wyeth, Victoria Browning
Evans, Dennis
Schwartz, Robert
Peters, Mary Ann
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Ernst, Colin
Bernstein, Steven J.
Ingram, C. Davida
Bartlett, Bo
Gutierrez, Gabriella
Assael, Steven
Nestler, Rose
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Phillips, Adriana
Wechsler, Sadie
Wokoma, Inye
Hurley, Paris
Bard, Gayle
Wokoma, Inye
Implied Violence
Chew, C.T.
The Black Constellation
Andoe, Joe
Irons, Stasia
Fisher, Stephen
Shapiro, Ann Leda
Maxwell, Noemie
O'Neal, Amy
Wyeth, Jamie
Yamamoto, Traise
Fisk, Steve
DeShazo, John
Calderwood, Nancy
Dennis, Lockwood
Focke, Anne
Glantzman, Judith
Self, Tschabalala
Smith, Scott
Beckman, William
Haerizadeh, Ramin
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Kohl, Joshua
Hamrick, Sam
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Gish, Del
Bishop, Jeffrey
Michel, Jean-Claude
Aranda, Juventino
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Kohl, Joshua
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Degenerate Art Ensemble
McCue, Frances
Horsey, David
Fiset, Joan
Poskas, Peter
Park, Joseph
Vaughan, Molly Jae
Britto, Romero
Lucero, Ian
Hulburt, Lucille
Law, Carolyn
Joseph, Kahlil
Implied Violence
Guerra, Jose Rodriguez
Cavazos, Xavier
McCurdy, Robert
Emminger, Joe Max
Meira do Valle, Juliana
Beckman, William
Zuckerman-Hartung, Molly
Lasker-Schuler, Else
Layman, Isaac
Wyeth, Andrew
Ojih Odutola, Toyin
Wokoma, Inye
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Noah, Barbara
Pan Gongkai
Bukovnik, Gary
Armstrong, Gretchen Adele
Ligare, David
Mitchell, Jeffry
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Workman, Tom
Berk, Leo Saul
Aponovich, James
Sparling Beckley, Chase
Wyeth, Jamie
Nestler, Rose
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Nicklaus, Ruthie
Simpson, Buster
Guy, Alex
Tsutakawa, Mayumi
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Ryden, Mark
Kimes, Marion
Mitchell, Jeffry
Barnet, Will
Harris-White, Catherine
Broca, Lilian
Harvey IV, Harry Gould
Engelmeyer, Joan
Nishimura, Haruko
Sculthorpe, Peter
Sparling, Presha
Crowell, Web and Stacey Levine
Curran, Casey
Chacona, George
Soldi, Rafael
Weingarten, Robert
Self, Tschabalala
Crispwick, Mr.
McIver, John
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Ernst, Colin
Jones, Fay
Gish, Del
Chickadel, Carmine
Fischer, George
Yamahira, Ko Kirk
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Ernst, Colin
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Weisend, Nik
Davidson, John
Woodring, Jim
Horsey, David
Christie, Leona
Bratt, Byron
Linklater, Duane
McDaniel, Gisela
Ichikawa, Etsuko
Fontaine-Carlson, Mary
Joseph, Kahlil
Telcs, Anna
Bertolino, James
Middleman, Raoul F.
Paschkis, Julie
Alley-Barnes, Maikoiyo
Weisberg, Ruth
Bradford, Katherine
Stern, Chris
Weisend, Nik
Rand, Ted
Lesperance, Ellen
Mullin, Paul
Nguyen, Lily
Allen, Judith
Lowly, Tim
Spencer, Mark
Blevins, Don
Morgan, Leslie
Rahmanian, Hesam
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Ernst, Colin
Spafford, Michael
Berk, Leo Saul
Raftery, Andrew
Blocker, Mare
Nerdrum, Odd
Smith, Cauleen
Valenzuela, Rodrigo
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Akashi, Kelly
Simpson, Buster
Gruber, Stefan
Tsutakawa, George
Zaher, Maged
Guinn-Gilles, Glenda
Browning, Matt
Mothner, Carol
Alley-Barnes, Maikoiyo
Bailey, William H.
Seifu, Eden
Jet, Jimmy
Nicklaus, Ruthie
Hertner, Connie
Mee, Nancy
Crowell, Web
Chapel, Tom
Fried, S. Daniel
